Martha’s Rule: The Future of Patient-Centred Communication in the NHS

The tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills from sepsis has driven a powerful shift in the NHS. Martha’s Rule is transforming patient safety by giving patients, families, and carers the right to request urgent medical reviews when they feel concerns are being overlooked.

But for Martha’s Rule to deliver on its promise, inclusion must be prioritised. Patients who don’t speak English face additional barriers when raising concerns. Find out how our latest solutions can solve this...

Martha's Rule 

The story of Martha Mills is an important reminder of why listening matters in healthcare. At just 13 years old, Martha tragically died of sepsis after her symptoms were missed, and her family’s urgent concerns went unheard.

Her parents’ determination to drive change has resulted in a transformative national initiative: Martha’s Rule. This initiative allows patients, families, and carers to request an urgent medical review whenever they notice deterioration in a patient’s condition and feel their concerns are not being addressed. By providing a clear, formal escalation route, Martha’s Rule ensures that worries from those closest to the patient are taken seriously and acted upon immediately.

Early Evidence from the NHS Pilot  

The NHS piloted Martha’s Rule from September 2024 to July 2025, and the results highlight its impact on patient safety:

• 5,583 escalation calls were made during the pilot.
• 72% of these calls came from families or carers.
• Nearly 1 in 8 calls led to potentially life-saving interventions, such as transfers to ICU/HDU, enhanced levels of care, tertiary centre transfers, or specialist referrals.

[NHS England » Martha’s Rule]

These figures demonstrate that Martha’s Rule is more than a procedural change – it is a cultural shift. Hospitals are recognising families as partners in care, not passive observers.

Inclusion is Key 

Policy alone isn’t enough to ensure safety. Effective communication is critical in moments of concern. Organisations need to question how they will follow Marthas Rule with Non-English speaking patients – who are already more likely to experience communication frustrations and concerns leading to less effective care.

At Word360, we are proud to align our work with the spirit of Martha’s Rule, our new Wordskii Talk product has been designed to help clinicians communicate clearly and instantly to their patients – in any language.

With pre-configured phrases such as ‘How are you feeling today’ and ‘How are you feeling compared to yesterday’, Phrases is fully compatible with the three components of the Rule: providing clear, concise scripts and multilingual prompts that allow staff to communicate concerns during reviews or escalations efficiently.

To understand more about our Wordskii Phrases – contact our team at getintouch@word360.co.uk.

A Positive Leap for Patient Safety 

Martha’s Rule represents a significant step forward in patient safety. By empowering patients and families to speak up and ensuring clinicians respond promptly, the rule has already made a measurable difference in care.

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Tools like Wordskii Talk help make these interventions accessible to all patients, ensuring that every voice can be heard when it matters most.

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